I’ve never been known for my physical intelligence. I’m not even good at playing head games.

But, Paulette, author of the run-away smash hit, The Persecution of Mildred Dunlap (and the blog of the same name), named me (along with two other authors) in a game of WordPress Tag. Her book is simply amazing. If you haven’t read it, do yourself a favor and buy it. All proceeds go to her local animal shelter. That’s the kind of angel she is! Now, back to me

So I’m “It.”

No, not that “It.”

Yeah, Baby. I’m everything “It” ever was and more.

That’s more like “It.”

But I won’t be It for long, because, like in any game of tag, I have to tag someone else (actually 3 someone elses).

So I’m going to enjoy my “Itdomess” for as long as possible by answering these four questions I’m supposed to answer as part of the game.

What are you currently working on?

Besides stumping the medical profession with another mystery illness (this time in my belly, not my brain) and marketing the second edition of my first memoir, I’m working on getting my second book ready to be scrutinized by an editor. It’s called Never Turn Back. It is a fictionalized version of my maternal grandmother’s fascinating life story from the time she was a young girl in Finland to her early forties when she immigrated from Paris expecting to live in New York City. Instead the American GI she hitched her future to lived in a very rural area of New York State. She was one shocked and resentful woman. Even though she came with nothing but a few possessions and her 13-year-old daughter (my mother), she never went back to Paris. During her time in France she survived the occupation of Paris by the Nazis. This is a novel because I had to fill in too many gaps in the stories she told me about her life as a girl in Finland or young woman in Paris. She was a woman with many secrets that she was determined to take to the grave.

How does your work differ from others in the same genre?

Steven King said it best: “Fiction is the truth inside the lie.” If that is true of most fiction, my book only varies in detail, style, and voice. I know that there are many stories about survivors of World War II, but this book is not about the war as much as it is about how the war changed the life this woman. Her up, down, and sideways life story has never been told. But I imagine many people have lived through quite challenging circumstances people and/or who are stubborn. This book was written for those people or people who have to live with those people!

Why do you write what you do?

I write to make a difference in my reader’s lives. On the grandest scale, I hope my words and stories will be transformational and inspirational to at least one person who reads them. On a moderate scale, I’d like my readers to finish my books and feel as if they are not alone in their own personal struggles because they connect with my characters’ (real or imagined) emotions or actions. On a smaller scale, I write stories that I hope will resonate with a wide variety of readers, if only to get them to think about certain issues or make them chuckle. Chuckling is good.

How does my writing process work?

I’m one of those lucky writers who gets in “the zone” and sees my scenes play out as if watching a movie. All I have to do is type quickly enough to keep up with what I’m “watching.” I’m not always in that zone, however. When I’m not, I find something, anything, else to do. I can’t force myself to write. It stresses me out. So that old chestnut of advice”put your butt in the seat and write every day,” just doesn’t work for me. When my butt is in the chair, though, time flies and chapters seems to write themselves. My characters surprise me with what they want to say and do.

I write though a first draft no matter how yucky I think it is. Then I go back and read it with fresh eyes after letting my computer cool off for a week or two. That’s when I do my one major edit. After that is done, I send the book off to a content editor to tell me everything I did wrong. Once I fix up my messes, I send the book out to beta readers who I beg and promise all kinds of things to (use your imagination) plus I re-read the manuscript for more editorial gaffs to clean up. While waiting to hear from my beta readers, I hire someone to do the book cover. If I have enough money left over, I’ll hire a line-editor to spit-polish it for me. If not, I’l say a little prayer to the typo/grammar gremlins to stay away while I get it ready for self-publishing. I’ll sleep and walk Scrappy in there somewhere…

Typo/Grammar Gremlin. Aha! I found a split infinitive And I’m keeping this beauty all to myself!

You’ve been tagged:

The rules of this tag are to answer the following four writing questions, and then tag three other authors. These three authors will answer the same questions and tag three others, and so the chain continues to grow larger. This will enable readers to get to know more authors and their books. It will also allow everyone to get to know these authors a little better.

Peter is a genius with making words bend to his will and wit. His book is being published soon by a publishing house over in the UK and, if it is anything like the essays he writes on his blog, you will be both entertained and intellectually stimulated. He is insightful, keenly observant, and a subtle comic genius.

Lorna Dounaeva’s first book, Fry, sold like hot cakes. It was a psychological thriller. I bet her next book will be just as great in that scare-you-silly kind of way. For woman with such a sweet name, she sure can write a scary book.!

Okay, People, start running, because YOU’RE IT! Well, you don’t have to panic.

You play games so well. Your sport is the ‘Spoken Word’. You’re a winner there. I like the way your humor was woven into your answers. It showcases the individual you are even in your writing technique.
Much Success on your soon-to-be second book.
Izzy ~~ : – )

DorisFeb 17, 2014 @ 13:50:37

I started the book, I have to say you style is different, I like it, but I am not finished.

Since I’ve never written fiction before either, I may not be the best person to ask! So have the money to attend a writing workshop or, better yet, hire a content editor to review your manuscript to tell you what parts work and give you ideas about the sections that don’t? There is an online group called The Critique Circle. It’s free to join. You can submit chapters and get the opinions of other writers, but you have to be active by critiquing other peoples’ work as well. When I started writing my memoir I was quite active in this group and saw examples of great and horrible writing–both very valuable as you develop your voice and plot. Many (but not all) critiques were helpful. You just need strangers (people who don’t already know and love you) to read your work and tell you what you are doing right and what needs improvement. Unfortunately, most of those “strangers” charge you for their services. Contact me via my email. I read an article in Writer’s Digest that you might find helpful. I can summarize it for you. It, however, is too long for a comment box. My email is dizzylorna@hotmail.com. Hope to hear from you soon. I love helping people in any way that I can! 🙂

How I wish I could write a review, but my last purchase from Amazon was too long back and when I try the answer I get from them is this..”To submit a customer review: you need to use an Amazon account that has successfully been charged for the purchase of a physical or digital item. Free digital downloads don’t qualify.” Now how the hell do I get past that??

In 2010 I self-published a collection of my gardening articles. Although I always received positive input from all who read my newspaper column, no one (besides family and friends) seemed interested in buying my book. It was a very disappointing experience. I’m writing fiction now, for the first time since college. A novel that is probably years from being complete. The main character is a young woman who has the ability to fly, she is being pursued by a creature who can also fly. No one can see her or the creature when they are flying. I’m focusing on the young adult reader as my audience. What advice might you offer a writer who has never written fiction?